Safer School Streets Extension

A SUCCESSFUL scheme which encourages less driving to and from schools and more active forms of travel is expanding to five further city communities.

The Safer School Streets initiative launched today (MONDAY) at the city’s North East campus (Longhaugh Primary School and St Francis Primary School) with four more schools set to come on stream in the coming weeks.

Councillors approved the expansion of the scheme in January and since then have agreed further traffic regulation orders and associated statutory consultation on widening it to even more schools.

Mark Flynn convener of the city development committee said: “With the North East campus launching and more to come, we are building on the success of two previously long-standing schemes elsewhere in the city, and more recently at Fintry primary.

“The Safer Schools Streets scheme is helping to change attitudes, the physical environment and other activity, and while we recognise it will take time to get congestion levels down, improve road safety and have a positive impact on air quality, these are things we need to achieve.”

Stewart Hunter, convener of the city council’s children and families committee added: “It is everyone’s responsibility to be aware of pupil, parent and staff safety around all of our schools and this scheme helps to bring that into focus.

“In addition active travel route improvements are continuing to be developed at each of our eight secondary schools as part of the School Travel Plans, ensuring additional benefits for pupils of all ages.”

The introduction of restricted vehicle access during school start and finish times will be introduced at:

•             Coldside Campus (Rosebank Primary School, Our Lady’s RC Primary School & Frances Wright Nursery) on November 14;

•             St Andrews RC Primary School on November 21;

•             Downfield Primary School on November 28; and

•             Craigiebarns Primary School on December 5.

In the areas where the scheme is proposed there will be a part time prohibition of driving from Monday to Friday on school days from 8.30am to 9.15am, and 3pm to 3.30pm in streets around the five primary schools.

Residents of the school streets will be exempt from the prohibition of driving along with emergency vehicles and contracted taxis for school transport. All other vehicles will be subject to enforcement by Police Scotland.

A free permit to be displayed on the windscreen will identify residents’ vehicles, and will be available from Dundee City Council.

Due to the one-way roads leading from Ann Street on the periphery of the Coldside Campus School Streets zone, permit eligibility will be extended to residents of Forebank Road, Bonnybank Road, Forebank Street, Forebank Terrace, Powrie Place, Eadies Road and sections of Victoria Road where parking is to the rear of the property.

Earlier in the year a survey at Fintry PS showed that after the scheme was implemented there the percentage of pupils being driven to school reduced, with a similar increase in the percentage of those arriving at school via active travel.

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